Sisters Reunited With Class Ring That Went Missing Nearly 50 Years Ago 

For nearly 50 years, two Blaine County sisters have wondered what happened to their class rings. Those decades of wondering recently came to an end, thanks to a good Samaritan at Canton Lake. 

Posted to Canton police’s Facebook page Friday, was a picture of two Canton class rings from 1973 and 1975 with initials. 

Chief Michele Williams said they were handed to her by an unidentified man who found them when Canton Lake was drained more than 5 years ago. 

Once sisters Shirley Petty and Barbara Tewell saw the post, they knew the rings belonged to them.  

“I just sat there kind of shocked for a couple minutes and didn’t even say anything to anybody, just reading it about 5 times,” said Petty. 

Tied together, both rings went missing in the summer of 1975 while both sisters were swimming with friends at Sandy Cove. A friend who said he’d hold on to them, had a hole in his pocket.  

I was upset, I was crying,” said Tewell. “We were trying to find them, and it was impossible to find them in the water after they had been lost.” 

“It was a horrible feeling thinking you’ve gone through four years of school, earned this ring, graduated and everything,” said Petty.  

These rings are extra special. The sister’s parents, who’ve since passed, helped pay for the mementos. 

“I was in my jewelry box the other day and saw my husband’s senior ring and I was like ‘Jeez, I wish I still had my ring. Low and behold. God works in mysterious ways.” 

Nearly 50 years later -- the rings are now reunited with their owners. For these sisters, it’s never felt better.  

“It was a horrible feeling and just now all of the sudden. It’s awesome,” said Petty. 

Both sisters said that now that they have their rings back, they’ll be staying in the jewelry box, so they don’t go missing again.